Ball objective



1941- c. LIVINGSTON 2,253,796

BALL OBJECTIVE Filed Feb. 29, 1940 Uallazd lz'w'gzgsfmz 1 NTOR.

Patented Aug. 26,1941

BALL OBJECTIVE Callard Livi lilto Ohicm. 11L, assimor to Chicago Coin Machine Mi'g. 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation 02 Illinois Application February 29, 1940, Serial No. 321,385

Claims. (Cl. 273-118) her as an objective on the board and to indicate the engagement of a ball with said objective by actuation of said control switch.

Viewed from another aspect, it is an object to provide a ball objective or target including a translucent disc and means movably mounting the same with respect to a ball playing board so that the disc is approximately flush with the board in a normal position in order that a ball moving over the surface of the board may pass readily onto the disc, an electric lamp mounted beneath the disc to illuminate the same and thereby designate a target objective on the board, and switch means actuated by the disc and associated means when a ball engages the same, to afiect said lamp and give an indication to the player of the engagement of the ball with the disc or objective.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationship of the component parts of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a ball playing board and the objective with portions shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a modified form of thepbjective;

- Fig. 3 is a vertical section through another modified form 01' objective:

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram.

As shown in Fig. 1, a preferred form of the ball objective includes a cylindrical shell or casing it open at its upper end and having said end fitted into an opening in a ball playing board II, there being opposite oilfset ears I2 attached to the underside of the board to maintain the housing in position.

Slidably fitted within the housing III is an inner tubular member I! having a bottom I 4 in which is threadably seated an electric lamp IS. The upper end'of the inner member is closed by a translucent disc I6 provided with beveled ment onto the disc of a playing ball II. The disc is preferably forced into the end of the inner tubular member and the latter is maintained in a predetermined position with the disc approximately flush with the top surface of the playing field or board II, this being accomplished by engagement of the central contact IQ of the lamp with the offset end portion 20 of a switch spring 2I constituting one of several cooperating springs 22 and 23 in a control switch. The control switch is mounted as at 2| on the side of the housing III, the springs being bent at right angles to bring the offset end portion 20 of the central spring beneath the lamp.

To illustrate the operation of the device of Fig. 1, it will be observed that the offset portion 20 of the central spring 2| normally urges the inner tube I3 to raise the disc I8 in suitable alignment with the surface of the board II, and in this condition the contact of switch 2i is in circuit closing engagement with the contact of spring 22, the latter being connected to ground, and the remaining terminal of the grounded battery being connected via a conductor 25 to the jacket of the lamp which will be illuminated so long as the tube and disc structure I3I8 remains in elevated position. As soon as the ball I8 rolls onto the illuminated disc I6, the latter will descend under the weight of the ball and cause the spring 2I to disengage the contact of spring 22, thus breaking the lamp circuit and giving an indication of a successful play.- A

companion spring 23 may serve to limit the downward movement of the middle spring 2I or it may cooperate with the latter to control other circuit connections as will be shown hereinafter.

The modified form of Fig. 2 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1, with the difference that the outer housing or shell Illa is forcibly fitted, as at IIIb, into the receivingvhole in the board II, and the lamp ISa is mounted in a socket 26 secured to the bottom portion Ila of the inner tube.

The switch 21 is provided with only two springs, one of which has an offset end portion provided with insulating means 28 bearing against the attaching pin for the lamp socket to urge the inner tube Ila and its disc Ila into normally raised ball engaging position. The contacts of switch 21 are adapted to beconnected in a control circuit such as shown in Fig. 4.

The circuit connections to the lamp Iia are efiected through a conductor 20 connecting with peripheral edge portions I'I facilitating the movethe central contact of socket 26 and a conductor Ill connectingwith the outer metal housing or iacket Ina; it being observed that the inner tube Ila is also of metal, and the metal jacket 25a of the socket rests against the inner tube so that a circuit connection is completed between the two tubes for illuminating the lamp via conductors 29 and 30. The circuit between the telescoped or interfltted tubes lfla and Ma is further improved by the provision of a light coil spring 3| expanded between the bottoms of the interfitted shells or tubes so as to establish a good electrical connection therebetween, but not strong enough to appreciably resist the depressing action of the ball In the arrangement of Fig. 3, there is provided an outer shell or housing 40 frictionally fitted, as at 4|, into the mounting hole in board H and provided in its bottom with an upstanding centrally situated tubular support 42 having its bottom opening overlying the upper contact spring 43 of a control switch mounted on the housing as at 44 and including a companion spring 45 normally in open circuit condition relative to spring 43.

A lamp socket 46 is mounted on the bottom of the jacket and receives a lamp 41 adapted to be illuminated through conductors 48 and 49. This form of the ball objective is completed by the provision of a translucent disc 50 having a central spindle which fits freely but firmly into the bore of the tube 42 and which has a slight pinch 52 near its lower end limiting the upward movement of the spindle. The lower end 53 of the spindle bears against the end of the spring 43 which is effective to urge the same to dispose the disc 50 in its upper normal position approximately flush with the upper surface of the table II so that the ball It! may roll thereon, depressing the disc and causing contact 43 to engage contact 46 to operate a suitable control circuit which may or may not include the lamp 41, as desired.

One method of connecting the lamp and control switch is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the lamp L has one of its terminals connected through some form of master switch M to one terminal of a battery B, the remaining terminal of which is connected via conductor 60 to one terminal of the switch S, which may correspond to the switch 21 of Fig. 2, and which has an insulated portion 28 engaging the underside of the inner tubular structure to raise the same and the disc into nor- I mal position.

The remaining terminal 62 of the lamp L is connected to a contact 83 on a holding relay, which contact is normally engaged by the armature contact 64 of the relay to connect battery from conductor 60 to illuminate the lamp.

The companion contact 65 on switch S connects via conductor 68 to a contact 61 on the holding relay and also as at 68 to one terminal of the relay winding 89. When a ball depresses the inner shell l4a carrying lamp L, contact spring ll of switch 8 will be depressed correspondingly to engage contact 65 thereof and energize winding 69 to attract armature 84, breaking the circuit to lamp L and closing a locking circuit through contact 81 to maintain the holding relay pulled up until switch M is subsequently opened.

Obviously, the relay 89 may control a variety of instruments in addition to lamp L.

The various advantages and objects of the invention may be accomplished by modifications of the particular embodiment specifically described herein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include all equivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, of the type including a ball playing surface, a ball objective including a translucent member and means mounting the same for movement relative to said surface from a normal position in which the translucent member is substantially flush with the surface to a position inwardly of the surface under the weight of a ball on said translucent member, a control device cooperable with said translucent member and actuated by the movements of the latter into and out of normal position as aforesaid, together with means yieldably urging said translucent member into normal position, and a source of light arranged to illuminate said translucent member from a direction behind said surface and operably controlled by said control device to vary the illumination of said translucent member when the same is engaged by a ball to operate the control device as aforesaid.

2. In a device of the class described, a target member comprising, in combination, a mounting, a translucent member and means mounting the same for movement from a normal position in which said member is substantially flush with a surface portion of said mounting, to an operated position in which said member is depressed with respect to said surface of the mounting, means yieldably urging said member into normal position, means for illuminating said translucent member from a direction behind said surface of the mounting, and a control device and means operatively associating the same with said translucent member for actuation responsive to movements of the latter into and out of normal position as aforesaid.

3. In a game including a ball rolling board, a ball objective comprising a translucent wafer and means mounting the same movably with its plane in substantial parallelism with the ball rolling surface of said board, means yieldably urging said wafer into a normal position with a ball engaging surface disposed in alignment with the ball rolling surface of said board, said wafer being depressed by the weight of a ball engaging the same, electric lamp means arranged in the region beneath said wafer with respect to said board to render the wafer luminous and designate the same as a target objective, a relay control device for said lamp means arranged in electrical circuit with the latter and switch means operatively associating the same with said wafer for actuation responsive to movements of the latter into and out of normal position as aforesaid.

4. A ball objective comprising, in combination, a tubular housing, an inner tubular member freely telescoped in said housing, a translucent end wall at one end of said inner tubular member, said housing being adapted for mounting relative to a ball rolling board or the like having an opening into which said inner tubular member may move with said end wall in approximate parallelism with the ball rolling surface of the board, a lamp mounted to illuminate said translucent end wall, and a control device mounted on said housing and having a resilient operating element cooperatively associated with said inner tubular member to urge the latter into a normal position in which said translucent end wall is approximately flush with the ball rolling surface of said board, said inner tubular member being depressed by the weight of a ball engaging said translucent end wall to actuate said control device.

5. A ball objective adapted for use with a ball rolling board and comprising inner and outer tubular members interiitted for telescoping movement, said member being adapted for mounting relative to said board for movement of the inner member with its axis approximately normal to the ball rolling surface of said board, said board having an opening in which said inner tubular member may move as aforesaid, said inner tubular member having a translucent surface portion at one axial end thereof, a switch having a resilient operating element operatively engaging -means on said inner tubular member to urge the latter into a normal position toward 'said board with said translucent surface portion approximately flush with the ball rolling surface of said board, means for illuminating said translucent surface from the region beneath said board, said switch being adapted for connection in a control circuit actuated by movement of said operating element responsive to movement of the inner member under the weight of a ball engaging the same from said board.

6. A ball objective comprising, in combination, a mounting member adapted to be mounted on a ball rolling board adjacent an opening formed in said board to accommodate a ball objective member, a ball objective member in the form of a translucent disc movably supported by said mounting member for movement relative to said opening in the board with the plane of the disc substantially in parallelism with the ball rolling surface of the board, means for illuminating said disc from the region beneath said board, means yieldably urging said disc into a normal position with an upper surface portion approximately flush with the ball rolling surface of the board, and a control relay arranged to connect circuit to said means for illuminating said. disc, switch means connected in circuit with said control relay and operatively associated with said disc and actuated in response to movements of the same into and out of normal position to effect operation of said control relay for the purpose aforesaid.

7. A ball objective comprising a mountin adapted to be mounted beneath a ball rolling board and an opening therein adapted to accommodate a ball objective element, a ball objective element in the form of a translucent ball engaging member movably supported by said mounting for movement relative to said opening, said element having an upper surface portion adapted to be engaged by a ball moving on said board, a switch mounted adjacent said objective and including a resilient operating member to urge the latter yieldably into said opening toward said ball rolling surface of the board, means limiting the movement of said translucent member as aforesaid to dispose said upper surface portion thereof close to the ball rolling surface of said board so that a ball may roll onto said upper surface portion and depress said member from normal position to operate said switch, and mean for illuminating said translucent member from a point beneath said upper surface thereof.

8. In a device of the class described, including a ball playing board, target means comprising a translucent plate and means mounting the same for movement relative to an opening in said board with a particular surface portion of the plate approximately in parallelism with said ball playing surface, means yieldably urging said plate into a position in which said particular surface thereof is disposed in said opening in the board approximately flush with the surrounding portions of said ball playing surface,

a light arranged to illuminate said plate from a direction beneath the same and said board, a control switch and means operatively associating the same with said plate for operation by the latter upon movement of the plate from normal position, said plate moving from normal position under the weight of a ball engaging said particular surface portion thereof, said switch being adapted for connection in a signaling circuit indicate the engagement of a ball with the plate as aforesaid.

9. A ball objective for use in amusement apparatus of the type including a ball rolling surface, said objective comprising a translucent plate, means for mounting said plate in a plane approximately parallel to said surface for movement under the weight of aball thereon, means yieldingly urging said plate into a normal position approximately flush with said surface so that a ball may roll thereon without substantial impedance, said urging means being arranged to permit said plate to recede from normal position under the weight of said ball, electrically energized means for illuminating said plate from beneath said surface, and switch means operatively controlled by the movements of said plate into and out of normal position for controlling an energizing circuit for said illuminating means.

10. A target structure for ball rolling games,

face to be engaged and moved out of normal position by a ball rolled on said surface, an electric lamp in said housing, switch means adapted for connection in a control circuit for said lamp, and means operatively associating said translucent member and switch means for operation of the latter by the former as a result of movements of the translucent member by a ball as aforesaid.

CALLARD LIVINGSTON. 

